A computer's RAM stores active and recently used data. Because the RAM works much faster than the hard drive, keeping data in active memory helps speed up your computer. When a program uses up all of your RAM, however, it will cause the whole system to slow down, impacting work as the system swaps data in and out of memory. The Windows Task Manager can help identify and resolve excessive RAM use.

Tracking RAM Use

To open the Task Manager, press "Control-Shift-Esc." Switch to the "Processes" tab to see a list of everything running on your computer, including both visible programs and background processes. If you're on Windows 8 and don't see any tabs, click "More Details." Click the "Memory" column header to sort the processes by RAM use. If the top entries show little or no RAM use, click the header again to sort in the opposite direction.

Identifying and Closing Programs

On Windows 8, items in the Processes list use full program names and process descriptions, making them easy to identify. To force-close a process, select it and press "End Task." On older systems, processes display file names. If you don't recognize one, right-click it and pick "Open File Location" to locate it on your computer, helping to associate it with a program. Click "End Process" to quit the selected item. Note that forcibly ending processes for open programs can cause lost data, and closing system processes can crash the system, forcing a reboot.

About the Author

Aaron Parson has been writing about electronics, software and games since 2006, contributing to several technology websites and working with NewsHour Productions. Parson holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.